Dabz's Progress Thread

[Dabz]

well everything seems to be going a bit TOO well with my bike project.

2 months ago I priced up converting the naked bandit to a faired bandit, including the lower fairing kit - it came to just over £800 for brand new parts and around £350 for ebay bits.

As of Saturday (when I collect the last parts from bournemouth) I will have got the lot for just over £110! The difference in price is because the lower fairings are crash damaged, but one has already rubbed down perfectly and is practically ready for painting and the other one is fibreglassed and ready for filling. I have a fixing kit on order from fowlers for the lower part...just need to order the fixing bolts for the upper kit.

all credit to the mrs's dad for helping with the fibreglassing and rubbing down...he's got far more patience than me with these things and is also a lot better with practical stuff than I am

just trying to track down the paint now, but I'm hoping that with some hard work and long hours sanding I might have the bike done for the May bank holiday

[Scott_W]

Good stuff mate.... looking forward to seeing the photo's. BTW, have you taken any pictures of the work in progress?

[Amante_271]

Well done mate! Expect the all the long hours and bleeding fingers will be more than worth it! We will want to see before and after photos on here or the Gallery at least!

Any chance of putting the Vision On music on to the Gallery? It doesnt seem quiet right with out it! :) Shoot! Im showing my age again! BOLOX! Im going to have that blessed tune in my head for DAYS NOW! Grrr! >:(

[Dabz]

vision on music? over my head hehe

I forgot to take pics while we were working on the main fairings...I have some awful phone pics and the ebay pic which I'll post up though...

[Dabz]

lower fairings (crash damaged):

http://www.jameseades.co.uk/bikeproject/lowerfairings.jpg

close ups:

http://www.jameseades.co.uk/bikeproject/gouges.jpg

http://www.jameseades.co.uk/bikeproject/hairline.jpg

bracket for upper fairing:

http://www.jameseades.co.uk/bikeproject/upperbracket.jpg

more soon when I get more bits :)

[SkyJawa]

Good work mate - keep it up :D

[BB]

looking good! ;)

[Dabz]

this is strange...latest progress is that I decided to consult the insurance company to see how much this is going to cost extra. Bearing in mind I pay £120 tpft at the mo...it's gonna cost absolutely nothing extra lol. They won't replace any modified parts, but then it's third party anyway...

[blurbiker247]

Word has obviously got round that you........are D MANAGEMENT!!

[Scott_W]

That's a good result Dabz! :)

[Dabz]

hehe yeh, better give a big shout out to H&R insurance I guess ;)

oh and when I got home the fixing kit had arrived....wait for it....complete with brackets lol. things are going a bit too well for my liking lol, considering the suzuki owners club told me it was a nightmare conversion. got a quote for paint though - £64! shopping around a bit for that...

[Amante_271]

What you walked in??? You still seem to have all the luck! Still looking for a donor bike for Project buggy! (Hint Hint! ::)) Scrape some of that luck off & pass it round... wiffy or not!!!! :)

[Dabz]

collected upper fairing and screen (and another bracket so got an extra to sell) yesterday...

http://www.jameseades.co.uk/bikeproject/upperfairing.jpg

the guy also makes his own design parts for bandits, and aside from making me wonder why I don't just go down the whole streetfighter route, he's got me thinking about a single seat cowl, undertray, rear light conversion and rear hugger :P might get the single seat cowl and then concentrate on the fairing...

[Dabz]

oh and I need to find a double bubble screen as that one's far too small

[Mac]

Not intending on bringing Lisa then...lol

Looking good mate...chop chop and get fixing!

[Dabz]

the seat cowl can be taken off/on in about 2 mins...he demonstrated once he saw lisa was sat in the car lol

[Dabz]

well i did say it was all going too well...

decided to just see what it'll all look like last night only to find that the lowers aren't from the right model afterall. deciding at the mo whether it's back to square 1 or whether to get a guy I know in bournemouth to resdesign the top to fit... :(

[Scott_W]

:(

[SkyJawa]

Redesign top to fit :)

[BB]

Dabz, what a bummer :( and after all your hard work too. What are you going to do now?

BB

[Dabz]

not sure what to do to be honest - I keep changing between wanting to cancel the whole idea and buying a few more streetfighter bits, so carrying on and seeing how far I get. I'm waiting to hear whether the guy in bournemouth can remake the tops to make it all fit so it depends on him really :P shouldn't have said it was all going too well should I? ;)

[BB]

Ah well, put it down to experience which ever way you play it.